17 Days, 11 Hours, 41 Minutes

Graduation. A word that my roommates tell me is a four letter word that cannot be spoken in our room. A concept that has felt so far off that I've barely given it thought. A reality check. A word spoken in sadness, fear, regret, longing, excitement, and disappointment. My four years in college are coming to a close. I was brutally reminded of that fact as I sat in my classroom at the end of the day and read the email that told me, "Congratulations, come get your cap and gown. We're kicking you out." Only to be followed with a wonderful event on planning my financial future that taught me, "being an education major has taught you nothing about how to plan your life financially other than that you have to marry rich." Combine these two facts and it's easy to say that yesterday was a sobering day full of fear, resentment, and pure disappointment. So obviously I fixed the sobering part by having a glass of wine and looking at my life.

I am a college senior who will be walking across that stage in 17 days, 11 hours and 34 minutes with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education with a Minor in Music with a Voice Concentration. I will be graduating with "All University Honors," with a lot of colorful chords and stoles draped around my neck. I'm a terrible speller who will be teaching sixth grade in less than four months (they are totally going to call me out), and will be kicked out of my warm university bed to my new apartment with little to no knowledge of how the real world really works. I mean what is a 401k anyway? And taxes, retirement, insurance? Who exactly thought of the genius idea to have so many requirements in one major that there was no room for personal finance?

On the other hand, there are the positives. I get an apartment! With my own furniture, big girl bed and my very own house keys. I get to decorate it as I wish, as long as I learn how to pay all the bills so that the water and heat stay on of course (not sure my roommate would be too happy if that happened). I also will get to have my own classroom. Sixth grade language arts is right up my alley as my Master's concentration is in Literacy. I get to design and decorate my classroom in a way that both my students and I will love. Armed with my sorority girl crafting skills, my apartment and my classroom will be stylish, and polished (I hope).

This next year is going to be my freshman year in life where I will learn new skills including, but not limited to:

• budgeting
• paying bills
• being completely in charge of a classroom
• how to handle a graduate school course load
• interior decorating (with the help of my interior design major sister)
• connecting with middle school students.

Armed with diet coke, Pinterest, my parents, friends and my roommate, I will get through this next year. I know I'll discover amazing tricks and treasures inside the classroom and in the post-grad life. I'm as nervous as can be, but maybe with this blog, I can help someone else who is as crazy as I am to take this much on! Hopefully in 17 days, 11 hours, and 20 minutes I'll be more prepared than I am now. Too bad this graduation timer doesn't slow down...